Victory caps big day for Kiffin

Lane Kiffin’s first bowl game at Florida Atlantic was the perfect microcosm of his first season with the Owls. Slow start. Super finish. And the future could be even better.

Devin Singletary ran for 124 yards and three touchdowns, Jason Driskel accounted for four scores and FAU rolled past Akron 50-3 in the Boca Raton Bowl on Tuesday night — finishing the season on a 10-game winning streak, and with Kiffin having agreed to terms on an extension that, in theory, would keep him at FAU for another 10 years.

That seems unlikely, of course. Then again, so did FAU’s 11-3 season after program totaled nine wins in the past three years.

“Just an unbelievable day,” Kiffin said. “Can’t imagine it being better, 50-3. This is a special story. These are unique stories. They don’t happen. You don’t come to FAU after winning nine games in three years combined and win 11 games — and not even play close games. ... These guys just dominate everybody they play.”

The Owls were 1-3 in late September. They never lost again, the 10 wins coming by an average of 24.8 points and capped by a win in FAU’s first bowl appearance since 2008.

“A long time coming,” said FAU linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, who announced he is returning for his senior season — amid some NFL speculation.

The Owls had a massive turnaround in Kiffin’s first year and may have an even brighter future.

Earlier Tuesday, FAU and Kiffin agreed to extend his contract six more years through 2027.

The days of being called out with an overhead projector as he was by Al Davis in Oakland, or fired on a tarmac like he was at USC, or facing weekly questions about his job security like he was at Alabama, are over.

He’s at FAU for as long as he wants to be. The new deal wasn’t signed Tuesday, but the sides will get there.